Coin-controlled vending-machine.



W. L. NOTTINGHAM.

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-9,1915.

1 ,21 9,030. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

37 Ar- INVENTOR ATTOR N EY WITNESSES W. L NOTTINGHAM.

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

1 1 N 5 b n4 m E u m m a P APPLICATION FILED SEPT-9| I915- 1,219, O30.

W j INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESSES WILLIAM L. NOTTINGHAM, or CAPEVILLE, VIRGINIA.

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING-MACHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filediseptember 9, 1915. Serial No. 49,808.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. NOTTING- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Capeville, in the county of Northampton and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Vending-Machines,- of which the following is a specification.

My invention'relates to an improvement in that class of machines adapted for vending small articles, such as packages of cigarettes, packages of gum, and packages of candy, from a pile or column of such packages housed within the machine and from the base of which delivery is effected by means requiring for its accomplishment the use of a coin of the denomination representing the purchase price of the articles to be delivered by its use.

This invention relates particularly to a construction of coin-controlled delivery mechanism of a vending machine in the class referred to, my object being to provide a novel coin-controlled mechanism which will discard but retain a coin not of suflicient size to operate the machine, and will pass a proper coin and deliver apackage equal in value to the denomination of the coin. T

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification, and in which I have illustrated a specific emb0diment of the invention:

Figure 1 ma rear view of the vending machine with the back of the casing removed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section on the line 4. 1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the coin-control mechanism in the starting position, and

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5, but in that position for operating and delivering a package.

In detail:

The machine herein illustrated is particularly designed, as above stated, for vending small packages such as boxes of cigars and the like and comprises. the casing 1 having a hinged back 2 which may be locked. Vithin the upper portion of said casing and supported in an upright position is a package magazine 3 adapted to receive a plurality of packages 4:, said packages being arranged in a column. The said package magazine 3 is provided with a removable back plate 5 retained in place by seating on the member 6 at its lower end and by a lug 7 at theupper end, said lug being movable into and out of engagement with said back plate. The back plate is preferably apertu-red as at 8, to indicate at a' glance the contents of the magazine.

Offset to the rear of the-magazine 3 but having its free edge extending thereunder for a predetermined distance is a supporting plate 9 the purpose of which is to nor- Inallysupport a column of packages. Forward-ly of the said plate 9 isthe mouth of the delivery chute 10 through which the vpackages are delivered to the purchaser.

To accomplish delivery of the articles, one at the time, the slidable member 11 is provided which moves forwardly and backwardly relative to the saidplate 9. The forward portion of the slidable member 11 is merely the frame 12 provided with a lip 13 upon which one edge of the lowermost package rests. Therear portion of said. slidable member is raised and forms a platform 14 which, after the slide is moved forward to deliver a package, closes the lower end of said magazine. Then as the slide member 11 is moved forward theframe 12 carries a package with it and drops it into the chute 10 and as the said member moves back the platform 14 releases another package and drops it out of the magazine into said frame 12 ready for a similar delivery. The slide 11 is pivoted at one end as at 15 to a lever 16 fulcrumed at 17 and the other end of which is pivoted at 18 to a sliding lever 19. The sliding lever '19-rests upon a fixed base plate 20 apertured at 21 to provide for discarding coins of less diameter than the coins required to operate the machine, and further apertured at 22 to pass the proper coin. The sliding lever 19, when in a normal position, projects over the said aperture 22, and on top of this is disposed a slide or plunger 23 having an elongated aperture 2st to receive the coin, the said slide 23 is cut out at the rear portion as at 25 to accommodate lever 19. Also aperture 22 is notched as at 26 to admit the downwardly turned end 27 of lever 19. The rear end of slide or plunger 23 turns upwardly as at 28 and is engaged by leaf springs 29 carried by a bracket 30. The lever 19 is provided with a pin 31 for engagement with the upturned end 28 of plunger 23 as the latter is being returned to its normal position by springs 29 and also returns the lever 19 to its normal position. The forward ends of the base plate and slide or plunger 23 project through the front of the casing and disposed directly over the said forward. ends is 'a plate 32 provided with a coin aperture The operation of the vending machine is as follows:

In starting, the elements are in the posi tion shown in Figs. 3 and 5 and a coin of the proper diameter is inserted in aperture 33 and drops into the elongated aperture 2 1 of the plunger 23. The slide or plunger 23 is pushed inwardly and this movement carries the coin of the proper size past the aperture 21 and into engagement with the downturned end 27 of the lever 19. Upon further pushing the coin pushes the lever 19 back which moves lever 16 and throws the slide 11 forward thus dropping the package out of the frame 12 and into the chute 10. The springs 29, then act upon releasing the pressure on the plunger 23, to return the parts to their normal position whence another package drops into the frame 12 to be delivered through a subsequent procedure in the same manner.

However should a coin of improper size, that is to say, smaller than the required coin be disposed on the plunger 23 when the latter is moved inwardly this coin will drop through the aperture 21 and therefore will not engage the lever 19 and no actuation of the mechanism, or delivery of a package will take place. To guide the lever 19 in its movement relative to the base plate, the lat ter is apertured as at 34: to admit a pin 35 depending from the lever.

Within the casing 1, and beneath the coin actuated mechanism is located a coin collector 35, and the front of the casing 1 is provided with a window 37 which exposes to view the coins within the machine, or if desired, may be made to expose suitable advertising matter.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a simple machine for vending packages which, when operated by a proper coin delivers an article of the required value, and yet cannot be operated by fraudulently depositing a smaller coin. However, while I have herein described a specific form of the invention, it is to be understood that, in practice, variations and modifications may be resorted to provided such fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a coin controlled mechanism for vending machines a plate having a coin aperture, a plunger mounted for sliding movement upon said plate and being provided with a coin opening adapted to register with the aperture in said plate, the said plunger being provided with a longitudinal slot communicating with said coin opening, a slide lever arranged in said slot, and a downwardly turned portion on the forward end of said lever extending through said coin aperture and adapted to engage the edges thereof to limit the rearward movement of said lever.

2. In a coin controlled mechanism for vending machines a plate having a coin aperture, a plunger mounted for sliding movement upon said plate and being provided with a coin opening adapted to register with the aperture in said plate, the said plunger being provided with a longitudinal slot communicating with said coin opening a slide lever arranged in said slot, a downwardly turned portion on the forward end of said lever extending through said coin aperture and adapted to engage the edges thereof to limit the rearward movement of said lever, and a spring for yieldably holding said plunger at the limit of its forward movement. 1

3. In a coin controlled mechanism for vending machines a plate having a coin' aperture, a plunger mounted for sliding movement upon said plate and being provided with a coin opening adapted to register with the aperture in said plate, a slide lever arranged upon said plate, a downwardly turned portion on the forward end of said lever extending through the coin aperture in said plate and adapted to be engaged by a coin confined in the opening in said plunger, and a spring for holding said plunger at the limit of its forward movement.

4:. In a coin controlled mechanism for vending machines, a plate having a coin aperture, a plunger mounted for sliding movement upon said plate and being provided with a coin opening adapted to register with said aperture, the said plunger being provided with a longitudinal slot extending inwardly from its rear end and communieating with said opening, a slide lever ing said plunger at the limit of its move 10 arranged in said slot, a downwardly turned ment in forward direction.

portion on the forward end of said lever eX- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature tending through slaid coin apertiure and in presence of two witnesses.

ada )ted to en 'a 'e t 1e ed es thereo to limit the rearward niwenient of said lever,' the WILLIAM NOTTINGHAM said plate being provided with an elongated WVitnesses:

slot, a pin on said slide lever engaged in DANNm MGCARTY, said slot, and a spring for normally hold- 0. T. GRIFFITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

